Heartilation
by The Honey in your Tea
Summary: Various drabbles and vignettes based on different songs. Pairings will vary, ratings will vary.
1. Soil, Soil

a/n: I started this story several years ago. I started jotting down ideas that flew into my head when I listened to certain songs on my iPod, and decided to write drabbles based off of them. I have no idea how long this will be - I'll probably end it around 10, and if that doesn't sit well with me, I'll probably carry on til 15. We'll see what happens! The title of the story, "Heartilation", is the title of an Andrew Jackson Jihad song.

Song: Soil, Soil (Tegan and Sara)

Pairing: SokkaxSuki

Rating: G

Word Count: 229

Song Lyric: _"and if I forget, or god forbid die too soon, hope that you'll hear me, know that I wrote to you."

* * *

_

During Suki's first week in prison, she wrote Sokka letters. Pages upon pages of them, detailing everything that had happened – starting from when they last saw each other at the Serpents Pass, and ending with the day she was captured. Sometime between her fifth and sixth letter, it occurred to Suki that she had no way to _send _the letters – and nowhere to send them _to_. She placed the letters in a box, which she stowed away beneath her cot. She would simply have to hand deliver the letters to Sokka when he came for her.

And so, Suki waited.

During Suki's third week in prison, she accepted that Sokka was not coming for her. When she had come to terms with this, she nestled herself into the smallest corner of her prison cell and let herself cry for the first time in nearly a year. It was then she learned a very important thing about herself: Suki the Warrior did not cry. Suki the Prisoner did.

She had never been gracious about accepting defeat, but she had also never cried over it. But the truth was that Sokka wasn't coming. When breakfast was delivered to her the next morning, she pushed the letters through the grate and instructed the guards to burn them.

If Sokka wasn't coming for her, then Suki wasn't going to waste her time waiting.


	2. You Don't Know Me

_a/n: I don't believe there is ever a point in the series where Sokka and Suki directly discuss the loss of his mother (please correct me if I'm wrong). I'm sure Suki is aware, I just found it interesting that it was never mentioned - what if Sokka had always just assumed she knew? What if Suki just didn't want to push him into talking about it? Hmm! The places my mind takes me. _

Title: You Don't Know Me (Ben Folds feat. Regina Spektor)

Pairing: SokkaxSuki

Word Count: 369

Rating: G

Song Lyric: _"So sure, I could just close my eyes, yeah sure, trace and memorize – but can you go back once you've said 'you don't know me at all'?"

* * *

_

"For goodness sakes, Sokka, it's not like it's that big of a deal! So I didn't know you were allergic to papaya – that's no reason to act like this is the end of the world!"

"Not a big deal? _Not a big deal?_ Suki," Sokka threw his arms up in the air with a flourish, "you don't know anything about me!" Suki crossed her arms, clearly not amused by Sokka's dramatics.

"Sokka, it was just one tiny thing I didn't know about you. All I asked was if you wanted half my papaya and you went on a rampage. It's not like there's some huge childhood trauma I don't know about," She reminded him. Sokka's face paled, and he stared at Suki as though she had said the unthinkable.

"Sook," he spoke slowly, as though he were afraid to even ask; "you _do _know about my mother, right?" Suki stiffened, and now it was she who paled. She looked away from Sokka, ashamed that she didn't understand.

"Wh-what _about_ your mother?" Sokka turned his eyes downcast, unable to bring himself to meet her gaze.

"She died in a fire nation raid when I was little. Gods, Suki, we've been through so much together – we've risked our lives, faced the end of the _world_ together but even _still_ you… you don't know me at all, do you?" She looked livid as she opened her mouth to protest, then - a second thought - turned away, weak.

"I guess not." The silence between them was long and tense. Suki could feel the pressure building behind her eyes, but she was nothing if not dignified and so she did not cry. "I'll get my things together and leave in the morning."

"What?" Sokka asked, alarmed; "No, no, that's not what I-"

"Not _what_, Sokka, not what you _meant_?" She couldn't help it as a tear spilt over. Sokka reached out to grab her arm, but she jerked away, stepping back. "You can't just _say _that to a person and expect them to wait around for you to explain yourself!"

"Suki, please, _wait_-"

"What _for_, Sokka?" She shouted, flushing red when a sob caught in her throat. She would not - could not - let herself cry in front of him. She took in a breath, trying to remain calm and composed. She turned away, head down. "On second thought, I'll leave tonight. You can send my things after me in the morning."

"Suki, I…"

"Goodbye, Sokka."


	3. When I Come Home

Song Title: Abigail, Belle of Kilronan - The Magnetic Fields  
Rating: G  
Song Lyric: _"I'm off to the war, but you can be sure I will know you're what I'm fighting for."  
_Word Count: 236_  


* * *

_

"Why do you have to go?" Katara whimpered, clutching him tightly. Hakoda smiled down at her, and smoothed her hair back with his hand.

"I have to fight for our people," He told her. Sokka pouted in the corner.

"I should be fighting for our people, too." Hakoda laughed and reached out to him, pulling him close.

"Someday, Sokka, you'll get your chance." He knelt down, scooping Katara up and placing her on his knee. "But for now I need you to look after your sister and grandmother. They're going to need a man around the house."

"Will not," Katara argued weakly. Sokka shot her a glare.

"And Katara, you'll need to look after Sokka, too." At this, Katara brightened considerably. "You're going to need to take care of each other… you're all you've got while I'm gone. Just remember – I'm fighting for you kids. I'm fighting so we can be a family again. I'm doing it because I love you." At this, Katara bubbled over with a fresh batch of tears and held her father tightly. Quietly, Sokka stepped closer and leaned into Hakoda, allowing him to wrap his arms around the both of them.

"Love you dad," he murmured into his shoulder.

"When I come home," Hakoda promised, "I'll have presents from every corner of the world for you." Katara gave him a watery smile, and a kiss on the cheek.

"Just come home."


	4. Year of the Dog

Title: Year of the Dog – The Lovely Sparrows  
Characters: Azula, Ty Lee  
Rating: K+  
Song Lyric: _"Was I the dog you wished you always had? Quiet when you're sleeping, kisses when you're sad?"  
_Word Count: 583

_

* * *

_

Ty Lee went to visit her, just once – a year after the war ended, when physical wounds had long since faded and emotional ones were just beginning to. Mai had been afraid that seeing her – and for her to see _them_ – would be too painful for everyone. Ty Lee spent the better part of three months trying to convince her otherwise, but she refused. And so, Ty Lee went alone.

The asylum was on a small island off the coast of the Fire Nation. She took one of Fire Lord Zuko's personal ships, and arrived within the hour. She was escorted by an all-too-polite nurse to Azula's quarters.

"I must warn you," The nurse dropped her voice, "this visit may be emotionally distressing." Ty Lee giggled.

"_Every_ encounter with Azula is emotionally distressing," She assured her. The nurse did not seem entirely convinced.

"We try to keep her sedated at all times," She clarified, "and bind her arms behind her. To avoid any sort of…"

"Relapse?" Ty Lee offered helpfully, and the nurse nodded. She opened the door, leading them inside.

"You have a visitor," She said cheerfully. The room was dark – there was only one window, very tiny and high in the corner. "I'll be back in a few minutes to check in." The nurse left them, and they fell silent.

Azula sat with her back to her, facing the lone window. Ty Lee felt something catch in her throat, and found herself looking away. Azula, who had once been powerful, confident, and terrifying had been reduced to this. For perhaps the first time in her life, Ty Lee did not feel afraid.

"Why did you do it?" Azula demanded, refusing to look at her. "If you had stuck by me, we could have ruled this kingdom together! We could have ruled the –"

"I _had_ to, Azula," Ty Lee whimpered, "you were going to hurt my friend."

"_I _was your friend!"

"No you weren't." Ty Lee's voice was quiet, but determined. "And I wasn't yours. I – I _tried _to be, Mai and I both _tried _to be – but you didn't want friends, Azula, you wanted… you wanted _dogs_. You wanted obedient creatures who sat there quietly until you told them otherwise. You wanted someone who could occupy themselves, but would drop it all the second you needed them – I had a _life _before this stupid war, I had people who cared about me! But you asked me to give it up and come with you, and so I did. Because I thought you wanted my help – I thought you wanted my friendship."

"I did want those things," She sounded tiny and broken.

"Oh, Azula," Ty Lee simpered, "no, you didn't. I thought you did too, for a little while – but when you threatened Mai – well… it wasn't friendship you were looking for."

"Why did you come?"

"I don't know," Ty Lee admitted, "closure, maybe. I'm not sorry for choosing Mai, but… I'm sorry that it had to happen this way." She paused, and then added: "Are you?"

"Go away," She hissed.

"Azula, please," Ty Lee pressed, "are you ever sorry? About the way everything had to happen?"

"Go _away_!" Azula roared, finally turning to meet her gaze with a face full of rage, fire bursting from her mouth. Ty Lee gracefully leapt out of the way, then reached for the door. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide and sad as she watched, then turned her back and slipped through the door.


	5. A Normal Suburban Lifestyle

_Song: A Normal Suburban Lifestyle is a Near Impossibility when You've Fallen in Love with an International Spy, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone  
__Pairing: AxK  
__Rating: G  
__Word Count: 266_

* * *

"Do you miss it?" He asked, and Katara did not pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. She drew her knees closer to her chest, raking her fingers through the grass.

"Of course I do," She replied, "that was my whole life. I left my family and my whole world to come here. I miss them every day. And sometimes… sometimes I miss how plain and normal it was. I miss the boredom. I mean - it could be a snore, but I was comfortable, and I was happy." Aang was quiet, and had turned his gaze away from her. He seemed sad – more so than just a moment before. Katara scooted towards him, laying a hand on his arm lightly.

"But as much as I miss it," She continued on, "I wouldn't change anything. That was my whole life – but now _this _is my whole life. They're my family, and I _do_ miss them – but now _you're_ my family. And after all we've been through; I could _never_ go back to some normal way of life. I could never stand to be that bored again. After being a part of something so extraordinary… I could never want to be a part of something so normal again."

Her hand slid down his arm, and she pressed her palm flat against his. Their fingers brushed together; long and slender and calloused from training. She looked him straight in the eye, and held his gaze.

"I'm not sorry that I chose this life over that one, Aang," She said. "I'm not sorry that I chose _you_."


End file.
